2019 Summer Camp Recap

Outdoor camp has come to a climactic close and we simply cannot thank enough everyone who made it possible. From parents to counselors to the heroes themselves THANK YOU for another incredible summer of adventure.

Let’s take a look back at what your heroes got up to this year at Salem State…

WIZARDS & WARRIORS STEM SUMMER CAMP

Our heroes passed through The Gate Of Destiny and entered the magical realm of Sidleterra. They chose their respective Houses, got some combat training, and began their adventure with smiles and swords held high. Along the way, they studied the natural world around them, embarked on an archeological dig in an ancient burial ground, solved riddles and puzzles galore, and strengthened their understanding of the 3 Tenets of a Hero: Courage, Honor, and Compassion.

Creatures and characters littered their path as the adventure continued. The heroes met King Gilgamesh, a complex character, and fought alongside him in the shifting caverns. They gathered other magical allies and rid the land of the evil witch Baba Yaga. A cultural educator from the Center for Arabic Culture, Alma Richeh, arrived to teach the heroes about language and music.

In the final days of camp, the tablet of The Patrons went missing so our heroes traveled to a dark corner of Sidleterra where The Gate Of Destiny was originally crafted. They gathered information, banded together under a newly designed constitution, and defeated Tiamat’s giant army of evil. They also made boats…

“I’ve literally made the best friends ever at Guard Up and they really taught, and are still teaching me, a lot about friendship and what it means to be a hero,” – Annika (Hero)

“(Guard Up) is a place that allows children to have this amazing creativity in a space where they can be themselves,” – Lisa (Parent)

ZOMBIE STEM SUMMER CAMP

The Defenders entered the world of Asimov’s Foundation series, complete with the Galactic Empire, the Foundation resistance, and our big bad boss The Mule, a psychic mutant with control over the zombie hordes. They learned about the biology of the human brain while saving the helpful robot Daneel and vanquished The Mule by outsmarting his living dead henchmen.

The next week we introduced elements from Minority Report, specifically the concept of Pre-Crime. After learning about the concept, the campers decided that is was unethical to use it for themselves. They traversed a treacherous maze by solving parabolic equations, learned about punnet squares, and got to witness Marrow, the leader of the zombies, have a nice sloppy brain for lunch in the cafeteria (this was not served by our cooks, he brought it from home, we promise).

“The environment here is really nice. You get to learn all the things that you would in school but in a fun and different way that’s very compelling,” – Panda (Monster Camper)

“My son has been part of Guard Up for many many years and he loves the creativity, he loves working with the other kids, he loves being able to play different monsters, and I’m pretty sure he leaves a part of himself in Sidleterra every year,” – Liz (Parent)

Is your hero still itching for more summer camp excitement? We can help. King’s Watch Day Camp in Burlington is SOLD OUT next week but the final week (8/26 – 8/30) still has a few slots left. Register today and add one more week of adventure to your hero’s summer at www.guardup.com/campreg or give us a call at (781) 270-4800.

We’re looking forward to the next adventures on the horizon with great anticipation. Our storytellers have recently begun creating new interactive stories with a Moroccan cultural consultant, keeping with our standard of cultural respect and accuracy within our stories. Curious what this new tale will involve? Join your friendly local Guardians and find out for yourself…

…but before we dive into that, we’re thrilled to announce our big plans for October! (Hint: it’s got to do with Korea)